The Latest: Israel's Lapid says ethnic unrest a huge threat

  • Smoke rises following Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City, Thursday, May 13, 2021. Weary Palestinians are somberly marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, as Hamas and Israel traded more rockets and airstrikes and Jewish-Arab violence raged across Israel. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)
  • Palestinians carry the body of a child found in the rubble of a house belonging to the Al-Tanani family, that was destroyed in Israeli airstrikes in town of Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza Strip, Thursday, May 13, 2021. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
  • Palestinians carry the body of a child found in the rubble of a house belonging to the Al-Tanani family, that was destroyed in Israeli airstrikes in town of Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza Strip, Thursday, May 13, 2021. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
  • Palestinians rescuers search in the rubble for missing members of the Al-Tanani family, after their house was destroyed by Israeli airstrikes in town of Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza Strip, Thursday, May 13, 2021. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
  • Palestinians carry the body of a child found in the rubble of a house belonging to the Al-Tanani family, that was destroyed in Israeli airstrikes in town of Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza Strip, Thursday, May 13, 2021. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
  • People attend a rally that was held in solidarity with Palestinians, in front of Milan's gothic cathedral, Italy, Thursday, May 13, 2021. (Claudio Furlan/LaPresse via AP)
  • Protesters march through the streets of Chicago's Loop in support of Palestinians, Wednesday, May 12, 2021. (AP Photo/Shafkat Anowar)
  • Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with Israeli border police on Thursday, May 13, 2021 in Lod, near Tel Aviv after a wave of violence in the city the night before. Jewish and Arab mobs battled in the central city of Lod, the epicenter of the troubles, despite a state of emergency and nighttime curfew. (AP Photo/Yuval Chen, Yediot Ahronot, Pool)
  • Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with Israeli border police on Thursday, May 13, 2021 in Lod, near Tel Aviv after a wave of violence in the city the night before. Jewish and Arab mobs battled in the central city of Lod, the epicenter of the troubles, despite a state of emergency and nighttime curfew. (AP Photo/Yuval Chen, Yediot Ahronot, Pool)
  • Demonstrators in Nairobi, Kenya,on Thursday May 13, 2021 rallied to denounce the ongoing crackdown at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem's Old City, as well as Israeli plans to forcefully expel Palestinians from their homes in occupied East Jerusalem. Some protesters carried banners reading "Free Palestine'', (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)
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Palestinians Israel

Smoke rises following Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City, Thursday, May 13, 2021. Weary Palestinians are somberly marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, as Hamas and Israel traded more rockets and airstrikes and Jewish-Arab violence raged across Israel. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)
The Associated Press
·2 min read

JERUSALEM (AP) — The Latest on the harrowing fighting between Israel and Gaza’s militant Hamas rulers (all times local):

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JERUSALEM — Israel’s opposition leader says the country faces an “existential threat” from ongoing violent unrest between Jewish and Arab mobs.

Yesh Atid party leader Yair Lapid on Thursday said that if the ethnic fighting doesn’t stop, “the state is in danger.”

He vowed to build an alternative governing coalition and end Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s 12-year rule. Netanyahu also has condemned the communal violence.

Lapid spoke amid ongoing airstrikes and rocket attacks from Gaza.

Earlier Thursday, an Arab man allegedly shot and seriously wounded a Jewish man in the latest incident of ethnic fighting inside Israel.

In Jaffa, an Israeli soldier was attacked by a group of Arabs and was hospitalized in serious condition. In south Tel Aviv, two Jewish men attacked a journalist covering a gathering of ultranationalists.

Police said officers had arrested at least eight suspects in the northern city of Haifa who were involved in stone-throwing and other violent unrest.

Lapid said in his televised address, “We are on the brink of the abyss.”

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ISLAMABAD — Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has spoken by telephone with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas about the deteriorating situation between Israel and Gaza's militant Hamas rulers.

The Pakistani Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that Khan reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for the rights of Palestinian people. The ministry said Khan strongly condemned the attacks on worshippers in the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, as well as deadly airstrikes by Israel in Gaza.

The development came as Hamas sent a heavy barrage of rockets deep into Israel on Thursday as Israel pounded Gaza with more airstrikes and called up 9,000 more reservists.

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UNITED NATIONS — China, Norway and Tunisia say the U.N. Security Council should swiftly hold an open meeting on the escalating violence between Israel and Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.

The three nations sought a council meeting on Friday.

The Security Council has has been silent on the issue, and China said there would be no open meeting. Council diplomats said the United States informed members it couldn’t support the request amid ongoing diplomatic efforts. The U.S. said it would support an open meeting on Tuesday.

Norway’s U.N. Mission tweeted that it is working to reach consensus for a Security Council meeting as soon as possible. It urged a halt to the rocket fire, adding, "Please don’t let innocent civilians suffer.”

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